Coffee in Ethiopia

So I've admittedly not actually had enough time or internet access to properly shoot some stories off but I'll try to catch up in the next few days before heading to Cape Town.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was a wonderful experience. It is the only sub-Saharan African country which has never been colonized (only occupied by the Italians for a few years) and so it leads one to wonder about the impacts of colonization when compared to some of its neighbors and other African counterparts. It is a landlocked country although it was once had many ports when Eritrea and Djibouti were part of Ethiopia. It is a multi-ethnic state with 200 distinct dialects and the principle language being Amharic (which is thought to be related to Arabic and Hebrew).

"Lucy", one of our oldest ancestors was discovered in Hadar linking human life in this country back 3.2 million years ago. Ethiopia is thought to be the origin of our species. The history is quite interesting with a dynasty that dates back before Christ.

Modern Addis Ababa is an interesting place...having many characteristics of a capital city (such as the hustle and bustle and housing the World Health Organization's African regional headquarters) it also resonates a strong feeling of the pastoral life of the rest of the country...with unaccompanied donkeys weaving in and out of traffic and people-- dutifully carrying bundles of fire wood to their destinations.

One of the most fascinating parts of the history is that the coffee bean originated from Ethiopia and the coffee was incredible-both in its history and in the ceremony around it. I actually had a chance to learn how to do the ceremony and roast the beans.

The history around the discovery of coffee is interesting. Kaldi is a shepherd who -as legend has it-tended to the goats that discovered coffee. He noticed his goats turned into "jumping goats" after eating these red berries in the highlands. He decided to collect a few. The stories I heard now diverge at this point.

One version says he brought the berries back to a monastery and the monk did not approve of this "drug". The monk therefore threw the berries into the fire and Kaldi went after them. He washed the ashes off with boiling water and this was the first cup of coffee (roasted and brewed).

The second version I heard was that he gave them to 3 monks and they made them into the coffee we know today. In the ancient and modern Ethiopian coffee ceremony the 3 monks are honored in the brewing of the coffee. The ground and roasted beans are brewed three times in a clay coffee vessel over hot coals. Between each round it is placed in a cloth holder at a bit of an angle to separate the coffee and the grounds. The first brew is called "Abol" after the 1st monk and is made for those you love and respect since this is the strongest and best brew of the grounds. The second brew is called "Nota" for the second monk and is for those you hate because it is often made for uninvited guests. Finally the third brew is called "Bereka" and is the weakest brew made for the travelers, merchants and students coming from afar and hence late.

When we went to a little coffee house that does the ceremony the coffee came with a small leaf which neutralized the bitterness (does anyone know what the leaf is? Stevia?).

Coffee in Ethiopia was a sheer and pure pleasure especially since it is now winter. The heat of the coffee complemented by the berbere (Ethiopian spice mix--their garam masala essentially) cut through the misty fog of the rains and warms you from the inside of your soul to the smile on your face.
--- more on South Africa when I get a chance :)

Nairobi Kenya-Short but Sweet

Upon arriving early in the morning to Nairobi I began to learn about the variety of cultures and tribes in this country. There are 40 million people people here with 42 distinct languages and ethnic groups. Apparently the struggle for independence in 1963 was a bloody battle lead by the Kikuyu tribe which makes up 22% of the population. I was told that when the English originally came to Kenya they would go to the chiefs of the villages and offer rides on horses (which apparently were very rare at that time). When the horse became tired this would be one boundary of the land they would take to begin their agriculture. After a days rest, they were then taken on a ride in a perpendicular direction to determine the square land that would be taken. Even today large plots of land are still owned by the British.

With the new constitution passed last week there is rising hope for Kenya. First the constitution was amended so that land must be in Kenyan ownership within 99 years instead of the previous constitution which stated 999 years. Also there is health reform in place attempting to provide universal access to health care. The government plans on financing this by levying a tax that is a small percentage of the wages. Additionally many other reforms are taking place and Kenya is poised to become one of the powerhouses of East Africa.



Historically speaking the country is well known for the link to some of the oldest relatives of our current species with fossil remains found that date back 1.7 to 1.8 million years ago and along with Tanzania the home of what is thought to be the first "homo" genus.

While in Nairobi I visited the Maasai market with Alice and Sunil. There we could see a little bit of the handiwork and culture of the Maasai people. Their beadwork was incredible with bright colors and patterns.

The women are heavily adorned with beads. They are traditionally nomadic tribes people whose way of life had been originally discouraged but now has been accepted due to the ecological conditions of their lands. Their wealth is measured in cows and children. The Massai boys go through a circumcision ceremony at puberty in preparation to become the famous Maasai warriors (upon which killing a lion they earn the title of warrior—some say this is still practiced but the declining lion population is of concern).

There is a lot of controversy over not only circumcision of this tribe but over the increased circumcision practices in the bush. In addition to the traditional demand for adolescent male circumcision, many people are seeking out the practice because current research supports a reduced risk of HIV with the practice. In a country with an adult prevalence 10th highest in the world with 6.7% infected reduced transmission with circumcision could be both a blessing and a curse. Unfortunately 40% of those procedures done in the bush on adolescent boys end up in public health centres with organ damage and infections and there is growing concern over the use of non-sterilized equipment and the spread of HIV. With public health campaigns encouraging people to visit clinics for circumcision a market has popped up for unqualified circumcision clinics done by “quack doctors” (reportedly lab technicians or anyone affiliated with healthcare) that offer the procedure for low cost (200 Shillings which is about 3 USD) and are complicating the issue. Many of these patients also end up in the public health centres with complications and the government is cracking down on these clinics. There is an underlying cultural issue with boys/families preferring to have the procedure in the bush because it is seen as more “macho”. Obviously tackling this kind of cultural shift will be a long road but I hope it does not lead to increased HIV transmission in the meanwhile. I’m curious if any organizations/agencies are looking at training traditional leaders in completing the practice in a sterile environment and if so what the sustainability of having supplies, etc is.

The main purpose of my stay in Nairobi was to see my dear friend Alice who was my flatmate while I was living in Bangkok in 2008 and her delightful Sunil. Although my stay was short my mission was accomplished and I spent a heartwarming time with them-- dancing, laughing and talking. Thanks guys! Photos to come once I end up at a computer where I can upload them :)

Photos From Mali

Sunset drenched Souls of Mali from angeli rawat on Vimeo.

Djenne Mali

I arrived in Djenne which is the one of the cultural and intellectual capitals of Mali. Founded in 800 AD it was a huge trading center for gold, ivory, lead, wool, kola nuts etc from the south where the goods then went north to Timbuktu and Northern Africa and Europe. There has been activity reported here since before Christ although archaeologists do not know why the empire fell apart.

One of the highlights is the weekly market (photo) and another Grande Mosque that has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Mopti Mali

After returning from Dogon I spent some time in Mopti Mali where the Bani river and Niger river meet. The city is formed by 3 islands and is known as the Venice of Mali. It was great to be around water again and I spent some time cruising the waterways during sunset on the wooden local boats. The river plays a large role in the livelihood of the community for transport and fishing. As I walked through to the docks it was a surreal experience to see the baskets of dried fish commingling with cut up fish heads, scraps of cassava and fumes from the passing diesel trucks. The town had a greyish tinge to it and it was amazing to see the contrast of the brightly colored merchandise on the boats with the dark murky water.

The old mosque is famous here and is the backdrop of the old town. I inquired about a bus to Timbuktu from here since it is only a days journey. The situation in the region is very shaky right now due to Tuareg rebellions and Al Qaeda having a strong foothold in the region. They have been known to kidnap tourists and even a few months ago a British man was kidnapped and executed. So, alas my trip to Timbuktu was off and I headed to Dejenne.

Dogon Country-Kani Kombele and Kani Boso and Teli

The next village was Kani Kombele and this would be our base for the next few days. It was market day in this village and I spend a long time observing the market and the wares people had brought from neighbouring markets. There were mostly women gathered with babies contently dangling from thier backs. They were selling okra, millet, grapes, groundnuts (the Dogon Variety is very black), onion, spices, clothes and Bobaob tree sauce. I wandered through the market and was able to see the wonderful mud mosque with Sudanic curves poised next to a watering hole.

We set up camp and then headed for a 6 plus KM climb up a plateau. This was a small village of about 200 people. We passed bathing children on the way and arrived to a group of kids at the top of the plateau. There sat the oldest Baboab tree in the region which is very important to the people because it is used for many purposes: the bark is used for making rope, the branches are used for firewood, the fruit and leaves are eaten.

I spent some time pounding millet with the local women and talking the the chief about the health of the children. On a millet only diet the children looked malnourished and we discussed geographical and financial barriers to health for this population

After hiking back down I rested into the rooftop of the mud building and had couscous and millet beer for dinner. I watched the stars dance overhead accompanied by the full moon.

The next morning we headed out for Teli where the village is half Muslim and half Christian. It was a larger village where one could head up into the cliffs to see the older part of the village. The view was beautiful and was a spot where the old chiefs watched over the village. After this village we headed back to civilization-content and exhausted.

Dogon Country-Dijibombo

After arriving in Sevare I rented a guide and a motorbike and headed out for a few days in Dogon Country (Pays Dogon). It is an area of Mali that was difficult to colonize due to geographic reasons and the life and culture has remained untouched for centuries. Here's a wiki link for more info on the culture (click here)

Heading out of Sevare we passed donkey carts, women carrying fire wood from the villages (photo), other motorbikes, and the occasional sparkling 4 x 4 landcruiser blazing by. The scenery changed from the Sahela to mountainlike plateaus suurounded by errupting trees. Other people appeared less and less until we were the only two winding down paths into Dogon country on roads only big enough for the bike. I couldnt help but be reminded of motorcycle diaries.

We arrived at the first village called Dijibombo. Pointed huts lined the mud structures along the village. There were used to store the harvest in with the women's silo containing 4 chambers (beans, rice, millet, and peanuts) and then men's containing 1 (millet). We walked around the village and saw the places where the elder men had disussions (which was purposely made so no one could stand up during the discussion) and places where women did animal sacrifices with the cheif when they wanted a baby and were having difficulty concieving. Although traditionally many of the villages believed in animalistic religions, they had mostly converted to either christianity or islam now.

I had an interesting conversation with the cheif (photo) and we found each other very amusing. He began the conversation telling me he had 4 wives and asked what I thought about it. I asked if it was ok for me to have 4 husbands and he laughed and said it was not ok because if more than one man wanted me at once, they would fight. Women however do not fight. Also, he claimed, there are more female births in the village than male births so men must marry multiple women. I asked him why there was a difference in the number and he told me to ask Allah. I asked the cheif for the number of Allah and we had a laugh.

After random banter we shared some Malian tea which is drank in 3 courses. It is black tea brewed thrice: the first time is strong like death, the second time good like life and the third time sweet like love.